Elevator



G. SELLERS.

ELEVA TOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1919.

1,369,305. V Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SBEET 2- WITNESS: INVENTOR: %am, GILBERT Szuz'zs; BY W W GILBERT SELLERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

Application filed December 20, 1919. Serial No. 346,303.

- 1i '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT SELLERS, a citizen'of the United States and resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain.

new anduseful Improvements in Elevators;

and I do hereby declare that the following description of my invention, taken in con nection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, form a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which the said invention apper. tains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to freight elevators; and it is especially designed for employment in artificial ice plants for elevating the cakes of ice after they have been dumped from the ice cans,-

to the ice level, from which the cakes are automatically moved to the storage department, by sliding down an inclinedplane. Heretofore considerable difiiculty has been experienced in stopping the elevator platform at the proper level, and considerable loss of ice by chippingoif the ice cakes has resulted from the platform stopping either above or below the ice level, and thus striking obstructions.

It is the object of this invention to so construct this elevator that the platform shall stop automatically when it reaches the proper ice level, after it has been started by an attendant standing at the lower level.

To accomplish this desirable object I construct this elevator as illustrated in the drawings in which- I Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete elevator and showing the hoisting mechanism in operative condition to elevate the elevator cage with its platform. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the hoisting rigging, on line 22 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the bell crank lever detached; and Fig. 5 is an edge view of the same. same. Fig. 7 is a plan of the guides for the rod 36.

Like parts are designated by the same characters and symbols of reference in all the figures.

In the drawings, A, designates the elevator cage upon which the cakes of ice are placed and then hoisted to the proper level to be discharged and then to descend by gravity to the storage room or loading platform. This cage is raised by hoisting mech- Fig. 6 is a plan of the anism B, including, preferably, an electric motor C, and the hoisting gearing, consisting of a suitable housing 12, provided with bearings 13, in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 14, upon which is fixed a pulley 15,

connected to a driving pulle 16, mountedon the motor shaft 17 b e riving belt 18. Upon this shaft 14 there is, furthermore, mounted a friction driving pulley 19. In the housing 12 there is a second set of bearings 20,'in which there is fixedly mounted an axle 21, and upon this axle is rotatably mounted a sleeve 22, the axial bore of which is out of the center of the sleeve, so as to convert this sleeve into an eccentric. Upon this sleeve is rotatably mounted a driven friction pulley 23, which under certain conditions connects with the friction driving pulley 19, as will hereinafter appear. To

this driven pulley 23 is secured a windingdrum 24, to receive a lifting rope or cable 25, which rope, passing over a rope sheave 26, mounted in a standard 27, reaches downwardly to a ring 28, on the cage A, to whichit is properly secured.

To the eccentric sleeve 22 there is secured an arm 29, which carries a suitable counter weight 30, adjustably secured to said arm; and from this counterweight leads a rop'e 31, upwardly over arope sheave 32, rotatably mounted in hangers 33, and then down: wardly to a starting device of peculiar construction. This starting device comprises a suitable support 34, preferably a substantial plank, which has in spaced apart relationship, two guides 35, in which there is slidably mounted a rod 36, to the upper end of which the downwardly-leading rope 31- 1S roperly secured.

pon the supporting plank 34 there is placed a bracket 37, in which is pivoted a ellcrank lever 38, one arm, 39, of which carries at its upper end a wedge-shaped element 40: the other horizontally disposed arm 41, being connected to a rope 42, the

upper end of which is hitched to a screwits upper end a laterally extending stud 50,

having at its outer end an eye or socket 51.

this rope there is adjustably secured a collar 52, as will. further on appear.

Upon the rod 36 of the starting device,

there is secured a collar 53; and at one side. of this starting device there is located a support 54 upon which there is pivotally secured a starting lever 55, the upper end of which is connected to the upper end of the bar 36,, by. a rope 56. I

-T0 the arm-29 of the 'hoistin mechanism there is attached a coil spring 5 under tension; and a second coil spring 58, spliced to the rope 31, to render this connection slightly resilient.

.Atthe side of the driven pulley 23, there is fixed a brake-block 59, to arrest the rotativemovement of the pulley 23, at the proper instant.

The operation of this elevating mechanism is substantially as follows:

An operator, standing at the lower level where the cakes. of ice are placedupon the cage-platform 60, manipulates the starting lever 55 to pull down the bar 36, and with it the rope 131, which in turn, lifts the arm 29 of the hoisting rigging B, and forces the driven friction pulley 23' against the driving friction pulley 19, and thereby causes the winding of-the hoistingrope 25 upon the hoisting drum 24, and elevates the cage A. When this cage approaches the proper floor level, the stud 50 withits socket 51,

reachesthe stop 52 on the rope 42, and pulls ment of the rope 42 lifts the arm 41' of the the same upwardly. This upward movebell-cranklever 3 8, andmovesthe inclined hook-shaped element ofthis bellcrank lever away from the bar 36 to clear the collar 53 thereon, and thereby releases'the bar 36, which will then be pulled upwardly by the I counter weight 30 on the arm 29, assisted by the coil spring 57, This downward move -ment of the arm 29 causes the eccentric sleeve 22 to move the driven friction pulley 23 away from lts friction driving pulley-19, and forces the friction driven pulley against the fixed brake-block 59, and

thereby to hold the cage in suspended positiorn This stopping of the driven friction pulley and with it, of the hoisting drum,

occurs at the precise moment when the cage A reaches the-predetermined limit of its upavardmovemenflwhich is the exact position i from which-the ice cakes can be pushed off the platform 60, upon the inclined track, .not shown. After the elevator platformhas been unloaded atthe upper level, the operator at the-lower level lifts the starting lever 55 slightly to pull up the arm 29 of the hoisting gearing sufficiently to release the driven friction pulley 23 from the brake block 59, but not enough to cause contact with the friction driven pulley, which will permit the elevator cage .to move downwardly at a greater or lesser speed-according to the way in which the operator handles the starting lever. It will thus be noted that, as shown in Fig. 2, the friction driven pulley 23 bears against the brake block 59 and is free from the friction drivingpulley 19, and the startinglever 55 is then in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1'. But slightly lifting this starting lever 55 will cause the friction driven pulley to leave 1- the brake block 59, and by a proper manipulation of this starting lever it is possible to allow the cage A to drop at any desired speed, by keeping the friction driven pulley more or less clear of the brake block.

Since there is a possibility that the friction' pulleys are not entirely round, or

slightly uneven on their bearing peripheries, which would interfere with the proper functioning of the hoisting mechanism, I- have introduced between the arm 39 thereof, and the rope 31, the coil" spring 58,.which when friction pulleys in contact by a give-andtake movement of the arm 29. This is an 1 in tension, acts upon the arm 29 to keep the important feature of this device securing,

as it does, the proper functioning of the hoistmg mechanism.

When the arm or stud 50 reaches the stop.

52 onthe rope 42 in its ascent, the portion of therope 42 above the stop 52 will be slackened; but itwill, straightenagain when the cage descends.

the stop 52 can'be properly and adjustably secured.

This rope or cable 42 may, however, be a metallic rod upon which When the vertically slidable rod 36 is being pulled down to move the friction pulleys into operative engagement, and the collar 53 thereon reaches the'arm 39 of the bellcrank lever 38,th'is'collar will'slide over the inclined planes of the element 40, and

bar 36 being automatically released by the ascending cage meeting the stop 52, pulls the arm 41 upwardly and the inclined ele-' ment 40 out of engagement with the collar 53. It will thus be observed that the only manual labor performed in the operation of this elevating mechanism is the starting of the elevator cage in its upward and in its downward-movement, the stopping-of the ascent of the cage being automatically performed, andthat this labor of starting'the cage is performed remote from the elevator.

cage.

The exact point where the cage A' is. to,

an obvious manner.

Ihave hereinbefore stated that this elevator is especially designed for use in artificial ice plants; but it is obvious that it can be employed in nearly every establishment Where a freight elevator is installed in which an attendant does, not ride on the elevator platform to control the movements thereof.

I have hereinbefore described with considerable minuteness, the preferred embodiment of my invention, but I desire it to be understood that I am aware that changes in the details of construction described, may be made, and parts omitted without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In an elevator of the type described, the combination, of a hoisting rigging, an elevator platform operated by said hoisting rigging, and manually operated mechanism remote from said platform, said operating mechanism including a hand lever, a vertically slidable bar connected to said hand lever whereby said bar when in operative position may be pulled down to normal position, said hoisting mechanism including a hoisting drum and mechanism connected to said hoisting drum whereby said hoisting drum may be operatively connected to said platform by said hand lever, automatically operating mechanism connected to said platform for arresting the upward movement of said platform, a trip lever connected to said vertically movable bar for supporting said bar in depressed position, said automatically operating mechanism being connected to said trip lever to release said vertically movable bar, and means for returning said vertically movable bar to its elevated position.

2. In an elevator of the type specified, the combination, of hoisting mechanism, said hoisting mechanism having driving means including a pair of friction pulleys, one of said friction pulleys being constructed to be moved into, and out of contact with the other of said pulleys to operatively connect and disconnect said friction pulleys, manually operated means for establishing the connection of said friction pulleys, automatic means for holding said friction pulleys in operatively connected positions, means for automatically releasing said holding means, means for automatically severing the connection of said friction pulleys, and means connected with one of said friction pulleys for holding the latter friction pulley in inoperative position. i

3. In an elevator of the type specified, the

combination, of a hoisting rigging, said hoisting rigging including a friction driving pulley anda friction driven pulley the latter pulley being constructed to be moved into and out of engagement with said driving friction pulley, mechanism for moving said friction driven pulley into engagement with said friction driving pulley, said mechanism f including an eccentric on which sald friction driven pulley is rotatably mounted, an arm on said eccentric for oscillating said eccentrio, a vertically slidable bar, said bar being connected to said arm, a hand lever operatively connected to said bar, said hand lever being constructed to depress said bar to force the friction pulleys into operative engagement, a trip lever, said trip lever having means for holding said bar in depresse position, and automatically operating means for releasing said bar and causing it to resume its elevated'position and to disconnect the friction pulleys from operative engagement.

at. In an elevator of the type specified, the combination, of a hoisting rigging, said hoisting rigging having a friction driving, and a friction driven pulley, the latter pulleybeing provided with means for moving it into, and out of, engagement with said driving pulley, and mechanism for operating said moving means, including a vertically slidable bar, a hand lever connected to said vertically slidable bar, a bellcrank lever, a collar on said bar, said bellcrank lever having a hook-shaped element constructed to automatically engage said collar when said bar has been pulled down by said hand lever to hold said bar in depressed position, and the friction pulleys in operative connection, automatically operating mechanism connected to said bellcrank lever, and automatically operating means for restoring said vertically slidable bar to its normal elevated position.

5. In an elevator of the type specified, the combination, of a support, guides in spaced apart relationship secured to said support, a bar vertically movable in said guides, said bar being normally in elevated position, a manually operated lever, said lever being connected-to said bar to depress the same, a

collar on said bar, a bracket on said support, a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted on said support, one arm of said bellcrank lever terminating in an element having inclined planes, said element being hook-shaped and engaging said collar to retain the said bar in depressed position, means for raising said bar to elevated position, and means for tripping said bellcrank lever to release said bar to assume its normal elevated position.

.6. In an elevator of the type specified, the combination, of an elevator platform, hoisting mechanism for elevating said platform, said elevating mechanism being constructed 'ing mechanism for elevating said platform,

lever connected to said arm and thereby to start said hoisting mechanism, means constructed to lower said arm to stop sa1dho1st- 'ing mechanism, tripping means for holding said arm in elevated position, and automatically operating means for releasing said tripping mechanism to return said arm to normal depressed condition by the oint action of gravity assisted by mechanical means.

7. In an elevator of the type specified, the combination, of an elevator platform, hoistsaid elevating mechanism being constructed to. be started and stopped by the movement of an arm connected to said hoisting mechanism, and mechanism for manipulating said arm, including a manually operated lever connected to said arm and thereby to start said hoisting mechanism, means constructed to lower said arm to stop said hoisting mechanism, said arm having a counter Weight, a spring connected to said arm, trip ping mechanism for holding said arm in elevated position, and automatically operated means for releasing said tripping mechanism to permit said arm to return to its normal depressed position by the joint action of said counterweight and said spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have hereunto set my hand. I

' GILBERT SELLERS. 

